1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to electronic communication, particularly to multiplex techniques for connecting multiple links between networked computers for digital packet transfer.
2. Description of Background Art
With the explosive growth of electronic networks and data communications, there has been increased need for improved ways for interconnecting computers, particularly as configured in local-area networks (LAN), wide-area networks (WAN), and other network configurations. Conventional networking equipment, such as routers and modems, provide connections for exchanging data between computers; however, current connection capacity and performance are limited.
Moreover, various Internet Service Providers (ISP) offer users individual or corporate accounts through which users may communicate with others across the Internet, for example, by sending and receiving electronic mail messages as well as setting-up and accessing world-wide web sites. Typically, a user installs modem equipment to connect his or her personal computer through a telephone line by dialing a local phone number to access an Internet account maintained by an ISP on its server. The ISP server is then connected directly to the wide-area networks which are collectively interconnected and known generally as the Internet.
Although ISP servers are configured currently to provide single-user accounts, each having a single Internet Protocol (IP) address wherein such accounts are extendible via known techniques such as address translation to support multiple users, conventional use of such single-user account is insufficient for satisfying the increased bandwidth requirements of multiple users. There is a need, therefore, to provide an improved methodology and system for connecting users seamlessly to the Internet through multiple single-user ISP accounts.